Heavenly Corners

Who’s this little fella?” He looked into the dog carrier, and Yummy yipped at him. Clark laughed.
“I was thinking about buying some sturdy rope to keep Yummy from running off. I just inherited him today. He needs to run around my backyard.”
Clark threw his head back and let out a loud belly laugh. “Yummy, you named that little ball of fur Yummy?”
Yummy was barking at the sound of his name.
“Hey, I didn’t name him, but his name fits him. He was Inga’s dog. She wanted me to have him.” I bit my lip to keep tears from my eyes as I placed my arm protectively over his carrier.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Let me make it up to you both. I think we can do better than a length of rope.” He motioned for me to follow him to the side of the store.
Clark showed me a modular puppy run that was the right size for Yummy. He couldn’t jump out, and it gave him several feet in all directions to run around. I could put it next to my patio and watch him. It was ideal.
I looked at Clark and asked, “Is it hard to put together?” I scrunched my face at the directions on the box.
He smiled. “It might be tricky. I could bring it over after I close the store and take dad home.”
I nodded, walked back to the counter, handed over my credit card, thanked Clark, picked up Yummy’s carrier, and walked to my car.
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Clark arrived a little after seven and carried the puppy run box to my patio. I was amazed at how quickly he put it together. It looked like a puzzle to me. I also noticed how good he looked in jeans and a t-shirt.
Knock it off, Annie. I thought. Then I thought some more. I heard through the town grapevine that he was divorced. It couldn’t hurt to be friendly. I was friendly with everyone, but maybe a little extra friendly could be fun. Goodness gracious Annie Ryan, what are you thinking? I thought to myself to shut up and smiled at Clark when he picked Yummy up and placed him in the puppy run.
I walked over to the fenced in area and said, “Nice job. Yummy looks as if he’s enjoying it. Would you like a beer?”
“Sounds great, thanks.” He walked over and dropped into a lawn chair as I hurried to get a beer and a wine cooler out of the fridge. I handed him his beer and sat in the chair across from him.
He tipped the bottle back and while he took a long drink; I fumbled with the cap on my wine cooler. Darn it all, he looked good sitting there on my patio. I finally got the bottle cap off and took a sip.
Say something, Annie, say something. You look like an idiot. My thoughts were driving me crazy. I took another sip and said, “I bet your folks are happy to have you back for a while to help out. Your mom was such a trooper helping your dad in the store, but she shouldn’t have tried to climb up to get something off the top shelf. I’m glad she’s out of the hospital now. Okay Annie, you can shut up now. I gulped more wine cooler. Goodness gracious, you’re babbling.
“I was worried about them both when I heard the news, but it helped me make my decision.” He drank more beer and turned in his chair a bit to look straight into my eyes.
Act interested, say something. I was dying to know what decision so I asked. “What decision, if you don’t mind my asking.”
He smiled, “Not at all. I have moved back to Heavenly Corners permanently.”
“Really?” I said my heart beating like a smitten schoolgirl. “You left San Diego for our cold winters?”
“Yes, but it was more than for the winters.”
I nodded and gulped more wine cooler. I wasn’t sure what to say, so I stumbled on my words and blurted out, “I hope it wasn’t anything bad that made you leave California.”
Geez, Annie, you’re an idiot. He’s going to think your snooping in his life. Goodness gracious, you’re going to scare him off.
“It was a lot of things. You know I joined the Navy right out of high school.”
I nodded and finished my wine cooler wishing there was more.
“I met a girl after I was there a few months. We were both young and eloped a month later. My son, Zach, was born before our first anniversary. First ten years were great, next five weren’t and we divorced. Zack was accepted at a college on the East Coast, and when mom and dad were hurt, there was nothing keeping me there. My boss understood; I put my condo on the market leaving it in the hands of a real estate friend to sell, and came back home to stay.”
“Well, welcome home. I never left except for college. Steve, Georgie, Paul, and I attended the same college, so it was like being home. Would you like another beer?”
He held up his hands, “I’m good, thanks. I heard about Steve. I was sorry to hear it. He was a great guy.”
“Yeah, he was, but our daughter Laci has his sense of humor, so I feel he’s still around.” I lifted my empty bottle of wine cooler to my lips and took a last non-existent sip.
Clark stood. “I should get going. Customers expect the hardware to be open early.”
I stood, and walked him to the door. Clark stopped and looked at me, “Would you like to have dinner with me Friday evening, Annie?”
I swallowed and said, “I can’t.”
His smile fell.
“I keep the store open until nine on Friday night,” I blurted, “but I close up on Saturday at five.”
He smiled, “Saturday it is. Pick you up here at six?”
“Great,” I said waving at him with the wine cooler bottle in my hand. “Nice move, Annie,” I mumbled as I closed the door.
I exchanged the bottle for the phone